The Dream
by lives2read
Summary: This story takes place in the Mercenary Ranger world created by sweetdreams-sunnymornings and includes her OC, Anthony. If you haven't read these stories, you should! They are here on FF and @ mercenaryranger(dot)blogspot(dot)com. After reading her stories, this idea planted itself in my head. She was sweet enough to say that I could play in her world. I hope you all enjoy it.


(Ranger POV)

It only took the sound of one small moan to jolt me instantly awake, and another few seconds to orient myself to my surroundings. For the last several days, my brother, Anthony, and I had been on assignment, in the wind, ridding the world of a particularly nasty dictator who had a penchant for dirty bombs and young boys. It had been difficult to gain access to him without endangering far too many innocents, so I hadn't really slept in days. I was too busy concentrating on getting the job done, getting paid, and getting back to my family.

I felt myself start to smile as my brain registered the fact that there was no imminent danger, no threats, no one who needed protection. On the contrary, I was in my favorite place in the world – my own bed, with my wife curled up next to me. Stephanie had been sleeping so soundly that she barely even moved when I crawled into bed a little after 2am. Barely an hour later, she was still completely asleep, but she was definitely not lying still. Her breathy moan had roused me. As I looked at her, I wasn't sure if I should be amused or intrigued, but I was certainly turned on. My wife had kicked of the covers and was clearly in the middle of what appeared to be a very erotic dream.

Her back was slightly arched, causing the thin, pink cotton of her shirt to strain against her breasts. The little camisole she wore as pajamas was doing nothing to hide the darkening of her areola or the hardening of nipples. Her little shorts were riding low enough that I tell she had recently waxed, and I could see the muscles in her stomach twitch as she slowly ran her hand across her belly. Her head was thrown back against the pillow, her mouth open sensually, as if inviting me in for a deep kiss, and another soft moan escaped from her lips.

I moved toward her, about to make her dreams into reality, when I was stopped dead in my tracks. My "ESP" was working perfectly, and I could hear her in my head, as clearly as if she was speaking out loud. The single word she thought was, "Anthony".

Now, I am normally not a jealous guy, but I guess you could say this one threw me for a loop. My wife, who tended to look at me with stars in her eyes and think of me as a superhero, was lying next to me, in _our_ bed, touching herself, and thinking of another man. I mean, I get that Antonio isn't just any other guy. He's my best friend, my brother, another part of me. And I know he loves Stephanie, I mean really _loves_ her. And I know she loves him, too. But usually, when she thinks of him _physically,_ she's a little confused. She can't tell if she's really attracted to him, or if she is attracted to the part of me that she sees in him. Right now, there's no confusion. She wants him, and I am not even a consideration.

I feel like a voyeur as I watch her fantasy unfold. I know she hates that I can read her mind, while her telepathic abilities are virtually nonexistent, but I couldn't stop myself if I tried. Stephanie's imagination was vivid and her recall of the details of my little brother's body was somewhere between impressive and disturbing. Through her mind, I could feel the texture of Antonio's hair as she wound her fingers through it, bringing him to her for a kiss. His lips felt soft against mine as his tongue gently explored my mouth. (Whoa! Not mine, _Stephanie's_! Living vicariously can mess with your brain.)

Stephanie's mind slowly and methodically explored Anthony's body. Her tongue followed the outline of the tribal artwork that decorated his body, detecting the subtle differences between the tattoo and his unmarked skin. Her fingers traced the hollows between his ribs and the uneven skin of the scars on his abdomen. Through her, I could feel Antonio's skin quiver. Stephanie's imagination was slowly taking her explorations further and further south.

Suddenly, the cell phone on my nightstand started vibrating loudly, pulling me out of my wife's mind and back to reality. I answered it in a harsh whisper, without bothering to look at the screen. "Somebody better be dead."

"Well, Bro, I don't think I'm dead, but it seems like I might be a bit, you know, uhh, stiff? Dude, right now I'm trying to decide if I should be in my 'copter rushing to join you before Stephanie wakes up or bleaching my brain to get rid of the image of tongue kissing you. … Uhh, no offense, Carlito."

Anthony's voice broke through the spell that Stephanie's dream had woven, and I was suddenly aware of my little brother's presence in the back of my mind. We've always shared a psychic connection and I hadn't bothered shielding any of my thoughts. He'd seen and felt everything. His laughter was suddenly in stereo, both through the phone and directly into my mind.

"Ranger, dude, you've got to be more aware of your surroundings."


End file.
